Talk by Martin Stilwell (joint event with The Kew Society): The industrialisation of Kew and North Richmond in the First World War

Date/Time
Date(s) - Monday 10 February 2020
8:00 pm - 9:15 pm

Location
Duke Street Church

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Along with a number of other residential and pleasant parts of Surrey, heavy industry was forced upon the residents of Kew and North Richmond by the needs of the war and the massive expansion of industry from 1917. This included two large aircraft factories which built over 2000 aircraft between them, and a number of supporting engineering concerns. By the end of the war these factories employed over 2000 men and 700 women. But where has it all gone?

Martin Stilwell is a volunteer researcher at the Surrey History Centre in Woking and has produced a number of papers for the Centre’s “Surrey in the Great War” project and two chapters for the Centre’s book on the subject (to be published in November 2019). His specialist research subject is early social housing, particularly in London and Surrey.